Rucker is McEntire’s new co-host for CMA Awards
Country stars Reba McEntire and Darius Rucker are promising laughs and good music when they co-host this year’s CMA Awards in November.
McEntire, a Country Music Hall of Famer and veteran host of country music awards shows, returns after hosting last year with Carrie Underwood and Dolly Parton. It will mark her fifth year as a host. Rucker, who crossed over fromthe rock world about 15 years ago and is a Grand Ole Opry member, will be a firsttime host of the CMAs when the show airs on Nov. 11 on ABC from Nashville, Tennessee.
“We both love to giggle and laugh and cut up. Whatever they give us to say, I have a feeling that we’re going to be adding a little bit of our own kind of sense of humor,” said McEntire, during an interview with Rucker.
“One of the cool things about getting to do this with Reba is we can both be the straight man, or we can be the person who delivers the joke,” said Rucker.
One of the first people that Rucker said hewas planning on telling about his new co-hosting gig was country icon Charley Pride. Pride was the first Black country artist to co-host the awards show, in 1975 with Glen Campbell. Pride had won the CMA’s top prize, entertainer of the year, in 1971 and paved theway for artists like Rucker decades later.
“When I started in this business, Iwas atmy very first CMAs when I won the best new artist,” said Rucker, of his 2009win. “I said tomy manager, ‘I want to host this someday.’ Iwas joking. And to be here 14 years later hosting
with Reba freaking McEntire? Wow!”
The show will be airing from a new venue, the Music City Center, a convention center just across the street fromthe show’s regular home at the Bridgestone Arena. Rucker said theywill be addressing the pandemic and the struggles that many people have experienced this year, but he said the focus will be on the music.
“They want to hear music. They want to see stars. They want to see collaborations they haven’t seen before,” said Rucker.
Although the pandemic may change some behindthe-scenes production, McEntire promised she would keep up her awards show tradition of multiple outfit changes throughout the broadcast.
“Darius and I talked about that,” said McEntire. “He toldme he’s gonna change clothes about six or seven times, so I am going to have to go eight at least.”
Royal Opera to sell Hockney painting:
Britain’s Royal Opera House is selling a David Hockney painting of its former chief
to help it stay afloat as coronavirus-related restrictions keep many U.K. performing arts venues shuttered.
Christie’s auction house said Monday that “Portrait of Sir David Webster” will be offered for sale in London on Oct. 22, with an estimated price of between 11 million pounds and 18 million pounds ($14 million and $23 million).
Hockney, one of Britain’s most renowned living artists, painted the portrait in 1971 after Webster stepped down as the company’s general administrator. Webster died later the same year.
Royal Opera House chief executive Alex Beard said the companywas facing “the biggest crisis in our history.”
Oct. 6 birthdays:
Singerguitarist Thomas McClary is 71. Singer Kevin Cronin is 69. Actor Elisabeth Shue is 57. Singer-songwriter Matthew Sweet is 56. Actor Jacqueline Obradors is 54. Bassist Tommy Stinson is 54. Actor Amy Jo Johnson is 50. Actor Lamman Rucker is 49. Actor Jeremy Sisto is 46. Actor Karimah Westbrook is 42.